The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-17
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
ROANOKE ISLAND.
How the Works We're Carried and Who Carried
Them.

How the NOfhh were khff&fn Ahn WIN
Them.
EnrroR NATIONAL TRIBUNE; ] have been
reader Of your paper for 10 years aud for
"chcek ] have seen nothing 70 compare with
Col Hawkius's account OF the 9th n \. at
Roanoke Island. i was there, and IN the bat
terry when the 9Th n. \. came IN. The 2lst
Mass had the first man wounded alter Tie
troops landed on the island. Private Henry
IL Howard of Co q, was shot through the mp
while Oh picket the might OF the IN. Ihe flist
Brioadc Gen Foster. opened the light on The
morning of The Sth. The Second Brigade, under
Gen. Reno. then went in. The 2lst Mass.
PASSED through the First Brigade, with Cos. -,
and G. the flank companies, in the advance. We
fled to the left into the swamp, where the
brush was 80 thick that the Johnnies Thought
nothing could get through. Gen. Reno was
with the advance all the time. lie was max
ing FOR the right Gauk Of the rebel line.
We worked our way so far to the rebel
right that when we came out 70 the open
ground in front and around the battery they
could not bring the three guns of the battery
20 bear on as; but we had nearly the whole OF
the infantry 20 face. and il was hot Here
Can't T. - Foster of Co. ID, was wounded, aud
here we received the fire OF the 9th n. y. and
10th Conn.,. j think. See the report of Col
Ferrer0. OF the 5lst n. y, where he says:
found the fire OF the 9Th y. y. was directed
into our ranks. j ordered my bugler TO sound
the order 60 cease firing The troops that
fired from our right took us for the enemy com
ing out 10 flank them, as the DIST had on the
old II. :. gray Uniform.
Gen. Reno was with Cos. d and G, in tho adj
vance. Shortly after we came 10 the opening
he gave the order TO Lcut.-Col. Maggi, of the
2lst, 10 charge, and Cos ID and @, with the rest
OF the regiment Thai had come up, went into
the fort, captured the Gag of the battery aud
planted OuT State hag on the works. Capt Ethan
Blodgo,l wJs The man who carried 1t. The bearer
OF our flag fell into the ditch. The flag OF the
5lst n y was planted beside the State flag of
the 2lst Mass three companies OF tho Dist
coming into the battery on our heels, and the
Johnnies were going up the island
The 2lst and part OF the 5lst were in tho
battery when Hawkins's Zouaves came mp the
road with their shout of 3" Zou Iuu!" TIE man
who shot Howard while ON picket the night
before had H0ward's Harpcr's Ferry rifle when
they surrendered further mp the island. The
prisoners said the NaUlls fought well, but when
hthem id gay-coatod Regulars" came out
OF the brush where they thought nothing could
gel through il was more than they could stand.
Nearly every one of the Johnnies carried knives
from 10 TO ls inches long. The 2lst lost l3
killed and As wounded.
The following was published NJ the time IN
the New York Commercial Advertiser 10y their
correspondent with the army. Amer doscrib-
ing the entry OF the 2lst and 5lst into the bat
terv, and the flight OF the Johnnies the writer
says 'llawkms's I0uayes next came dashing
over the ditch into the work in possession Of
their friends; that il was but question Of
distance who should arrive first" The idea of
the 9tb n. y or any other regiment going up
that narrow road IN front Of that battery while
the rebels bad possession and not lose any
more men than Col. Hawkins reported that the
9Th lost-two Licutenauts and Is privatcs
wounded; not a man killed by all the grape,
solid shot and shell he speaks of, il he should
tell that 10 an army mule he would get has hat
kicked of, II nothing more. A regiment going
mp that road in front Of that battery while the
enemy was IN possession would have lost every
man, rs they had 20 march by the flank for
over half a mile And i tell you them, John
mics were no sl0uches al handling their guns,
and they had a polnt-blank range the whole
distance. Only - men wounded! How is that
for high2 Or, as the Dutchman says, How high
ish doig j want TO say TO Col. Hawkins that
Col Maggi was no "Shaksperesn pattern Of
which lac speaks, but Col Magg was an officer
every inch OF him, from the crown OF his head
20 the sole of his foot lie served some l6
years under Garibaldi, and he knew a soldiers
place He was afterward Colonel of the 33d
Mass.
Col. Hawkins quotes from Gen. Reno's re-
port. What does Reno say2 He says in his
report 10 Burnside: II proceeded az the head
of the 2lst Mass. toward the enemy's right. We
were soon holly engaged but without stop
ping ! kept moving my flank toward the left
tthe enemy's right, but owing TO the depth OF
the water and the dense underbrush we made
only SLOW progress. Finally, after two hours,
we succeeded in turning their right. j ordered
charge, which was most calamity executed
by the DIST Mass, 5lst N. v. and 9th n. J.
During the engagement Fosters Brigade gal
lantly attacked in front, and Gen. Park was in
the act Of turning their left when my brigade
charged and carried the battery. Licut.-Col
haggis regiment 2lst Mass captured the flag
Of the fort and raised the first colors." TIL,
captured flag was sent 30 Gov. Andrew, Boston
HENRY a. WARREN Co. ID, 2lst Mass, Biz
mingham, Conn.